Be Good to Him
by Angelia Dark
Summary: A look at what might have happened if Mabel had sought out comfort after overhearing everything on the walkie-talkie instead of sulking on her bed. Slight spoilers for Dipper and Mabel vs The Future.
1. Chapter 1

Mabel stared at the walkie-talkie in her hand, her brain feeling just like the static fuzzy noise that was coming from the device. Was that real, what she had heard?

 _"I'll do it. I'm gonna stay."_

She couldn't believe it. She didn't WANT to believe it. After all this, Dipper was going to stay here, and be yet another thing she had to leave behind? She was going to go back to Piedmont ALONE?

Mabel let out a strangled sob, throwing the walkie-talkie to the other side of the room like it was suddenly on fire, feeling a cold tightness clench in her chest. Her eyes felt fuzzy and her brain was going staticy again, feeling like the room was going dark and cold and ALONE—

"GRUNKLE STAN!" she shouted, jumping up and bolting out of the attic, wanting to leave that dark, lonely place far, far behind her. She stumbled down the stairs, her chest constricting further. "GRUNKLE STAN!"

Stan tore through the house at Mabel's screaming, wondering what in the world happened for her to be sounding so scared in the five minutes he left her alone. "Mabel!" He found her looking around wildly in the TV room like she was lost, rushing up and holding her shoulders tightly. "Mabel, sweetie, what's wrong!? What happened!?"

Mabel stood there blubbering for a few moments, her breaths coming out labored and shallow, showing him that she was having a panic attack. He picked her up and set her on the chair, resting a hand on her back.

"Deep breaths, Mabel!" he instructed. "Deep—no, breathe in, keep breathing in…breathe out…there we go, keep doing that, okay?" He petted her back calmingly, feeling her shaking violently under his hand. He didn't know what caused this, but he wanted to punch it with the special spiked brass knuckles he keeps in his bedside table drawer.

He talked her down until she was breathing normally and her shaking subsided somewhat, pushing her hair out of her face to check her complexion. "You feeling better, sweetie?" he asked. Mabel took a deep, shaky breath and then let it out before reaching out and hugging his neck tightly. He hugged her back, frowning. "…Mabel?"

"…he's leaving me, Grunkle Stan…" Mabel whimpered, sniffling.

"Leaving?" Stan asked. "Who's leaving you?"

"…Dipper. Dipper's leaving me."

Stan gently peeled her arms from his neck, leaning back to look her in the eye. "Mabel, what are you talking about?" he demanded. "That's crazy, Dipper wouldn't—"

"I heard him," Mabel said, her jaw quivering from another onslaught of tears threatening to come out. "…on…on the walkie-talkies…" She clenched her fingers into his jacket sleeves. "…Great-Uncle Ford asked Dipper to stay here in Gravity Falls…and Dipper said yes."

Stan stared at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. His first reaction was _'THAT IDIOT KNOW-IT-ALL IS GOING TO GET THE SPIKED BRASS KNUCKLES IN THE THROAT!'_. The second reaction was _'That kid is going home even if I have to duct-tape him to the bus!'_ Third was the most logical and the most-needed right now. Calming Mabel down.

He picked her up and carried her to the kitchen, setting her down at the table before fetching a few sodas from the fridge for them to share, passing her one and sitting across from her. "…Are you sure you heard right, Mabel?" he asked. "Those things can be pretty screwy."

Mabel nodded, looking miserably at her can of cola. "I did," she said. "I heard Great-Uncle Ford ask Dipper to stay here as his apprentice…and Dipper said 'I'll do it, I'm gonna stay'." She nudged the can to the side, laying her head on the crook of her arm, giving Stan a few painful memories of himself in Mabel's exact position, save for the fact that it was in a bar, rather than at a table with someone who actually gave a damn.

Stan pinched the bridge of his nose, biting back a groan. He gave Ford an inch in allowing Dipper to hang out with him, and the idiot took a mile. Offering a twelve-year-old—okay, ALMOST thirteen-year-old—he's only known for a couple of weeks an apprenticeship in perhaps THE most dangerous field of work Stanley could think of—and yes, that DID include trafficking and number running—without asking ANYONE ELSE involved in Dipper's life was downright STUPID. RECKLESS. ARROGANT.

And quite honestly…Stan couldn't think of a reason why Dipper WOULDN'T want a chance at that. This supernatural stuff was up the kid's alley, what Dipper thought about, lived for; ate, slept, and breathed. Stan knew that even if he kept that journal to himself, Dipper would have found SOME way to keep exploring the mysteries of Gravity Falls. It was better he give Dipper a means to protect himself than leave him exposed to what he was going after anyway.

He took a sip of his soda before letting out a heavy sigh. He'd hoped a conversation like this wouldn't come up for several more years to come, but it seemed he was going to have to do it. "Mabel," he said quietly, getting her attention, "there's something I gotta talk to you about. I wasn't expecting this to happen so soon, but since it HAS…we might as well talk about it."

Mabel sat up, wiping her face. "…What is it?" she asked. Stan drummed his fingers on the table for a few more moments, taking another procrastinating sip of soda.

"…It's…about bein' a twin," he finally said gruffly, sounding slightly depressed. "About…how things change as you get older. As you grow up and realize your lives will go in separate directions." He drummed his fingers on the table again. "I just…didn't think I'd be havin' this talk so soon, y'know? Since you're only twelve. About to be thirteen."

Mabel nibbled her lip, tugging her sweater up to her chin. "…what about it?" she said quietly.

Stan sighed softly. "…the thing is, Mabel…it happens. At some point or the other, twins go separate ways…sometimes one is more ready for the other." His voice was sadly bitter. "…And things don't go right if there's no communication about the prospect beforehand, y'know?"

Mabel was reminded of the 'entire mysterious backstory' moment down in the basement that day, feeling a pang in her heart. "…it can get bad," she stated. "Like…like you and Great-Uncle Ford."

Stan's jaw tightened, as did his grip around the soda can. "Yeah," he said thickly. "Just like that. But I don't want you and Dipper to have anything REMOTELY like that between you. You're better than that. Closer than that. And…you have a support system I…we…never had."

He took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down. This wasn't about him. It was about Mabel.

"Look, sweetie…I know you've had a good time here, weirdness and all…but you gotta understand, summer cant last forever. You've gotta move on, and make some good outta the rest of your life. Don't stay in the past and keep yourself from growin' up. Took me ten years too late to realize that, and I suffered another thirty for it." He gave her a smile. "You're too sweet and special to stay a little twelve-year-old brat forever."

Mabel found herself smiling a little through her tears despite herself. She wiped her eyes, sniffling slightly. "I've never been away from Dipper before," she said. "I'm scared."

"I know," Stan replied. "But this'll be good, y'know? Imagine all the new things you'll be talkin' about over Christmas and summer breaks. If you're together all the time, there're no surprises. You'll learn to be YOU, instead of the other half of a set. And Dipper…Dipper'll grow too. It'll be good for you BOTH."

He gave her an encouraging smile. "I know it's gonna be hard, Mabel. But it's so much better that you part ways on good terms, where you cant wait to meet up again, rather than bitter and wishing you'll never see each other again. And remember, it's not just you leaving without him…he's staying without you. He's gonna take it hard too."

Mabel chewed her lip again, mulling over his words before hopping out of her seat and hurrying around to him, hugging him tightly.

Stan hugged her back, petting her head. "It's gonna be okay, Mabel," he promised. "You'll get through this, and trust me, you'll be a better person for it."

Mabel nodded against his chest, tears flowing down her cheeks. She trusted him. She knew it was going to be a better choice. But it didn't stop the dull throb in her chest from hurting any less.


	2. Chapter 2

Stanford unpacked his bag and pockets, putting stuff away on the shelves as he waited for Dipper to come back from visiting Mabel. He was actually glad of the brief interlude for the mission, wanting to calm his nerves and let it settle into his brain that he almost DIED, had Dipper not saved him.

His great-nephew was certainly something else. Not only bright and inquisitive, the boy was also brave and resourceful, a perfect apprentice to his knowledge. He was so lucky, blessed, even.

Ford climbed a ladder to put a sample of alien craft residue in a jar on a shelf, hearing the door slide open to his right and someone quietly walk in. "Let me guess," he said, having a feeling that Dipper breaking the news to his sister wouldn't exactly be smooth sailing, "Mabel didn't take it well?"

"…Mabel took it well enough."

He almost fell off the ladder with a jolt when instead of Dipper, it was MABEL he'd heard. He managed to regain his balance and climbed down the ladder, feeling a heat in his face. This just became awkward quickly. He cleared his throat, turning to face Mabel.

One of the first things he noticed was that she was sans a sweater. He'd learned by now that she was almost ALWAYS wearing one of her personalized sweaters for some reason or the other. He supposed it was somewhat like how Dipper was with his hat. She was instead wearing a yellow skirt and a purple t-shirt, giving her a slightly more mature appearance.

She was giving him an oddly blank, critical look that eerily reminded him of his father when he had something to say, and he felt the ingrained urge to straighten his back and wring his hands. He cleared his throat again, the silence going from awkward to just creepy. "Can I..help you with something?"

Mabel's critical look hardened slightly. "Yes, you can," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I heard you want Dipper to stay here as your apprentice, is that right?"

Ford let out a soft sigh, scratching the back of his head. "…That would be correct," he responded. "Dipper spoke to you?"

"No," Mabel answered. "The walkie-talkies decided to kick on."

Ford quickly searched his memory of when the walkie-talkies would have picked something up, and realized with a start that Dipper was holding it right after the confrontation with the alien craft, during his proposition. He swallowed, his jaw twitching. "…I see," he said quietly. "…But…yes. I…do want Dipper to stay as my apprentice. He's very well-suited to the task, and I believe him to be a valuable asset to my research."

Mabel nodded minutely, her lips pursed slightly like she WANTED to say something, but was trying to keep it civil. "…I see," she replied in kind. "We've never been apart before. Not once." Ford opened his mouth to respond, but she beat him to it. "So you'd better take good care of him."

Ford's open mouth stayed open, staring at the child in front of him, his brain supplying nothing to say. "…I…uh…what?" he finally managed, sounding less intelligent than he'd ever felt in his life.

Mabel's stance shifted slightly, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at him. "You'd better take care of him!" she said again, louder this time. "He's never been apart from me, and he's gonna get lonely! He's gonna want to talk to someone about his feelings sometimes, so you CANT just be busy with work all the time! He's going through an awkward, sweaty, gross time, and he NEEDS someone to be there for him, NOT as a teacher, but as a GRUNKLE! You'd better be his family before being his teacher, and NEVER forget that!"

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay brave for this. "Be good to him," she said, her voice softer this time. "Be what I cant be when I'm not here, okay? Be his friend, someone he can trust with his life! And DON'T make him regret it." She took a deep breath and let it out, the need for tears being locked away behind her conviction. "Be good to him," she repeated before turning and walking out the door, passing Dipper en route.

"Mabel, THERE you are!" he said, sounding relieved before realizing she was down HERE with Ford. "…Hey, are you alright?"

Mabel nodded, pausing before giving him a quick hug. "…I'm happy for you," she managed to say before hurrying to the elevator and pressing the button to go up. Dipper stared at the elevator doors for a moment before slipping inside with Ford.

"…Did you tell her?" he asked. Ford didn't answer, standing there looking like his entire world shifted around him while he was blindfolded. "…Great-Uncle Ford?"

Ford shook his head slightly, looking down at Dipper. "…No," he finally said. "I didn't. But she…knew." He swallowed hard, reaching into his jacket and taking out the adhesive container. "Let's finish this, okay?"

Dipper chewed his lip, looking between Ford and the elevator for a moment before taking his backpack off his shoulder. "…Alright," he said. "Let's do it quick, I promised Mabel I'd help with our birthday planning when I got back."

Ford felt a slight lump in his throat as he opened the container and fetched an application brush. "…You go ahead," he said quietly. "This part is very delicate, and I've pretty much taken up your entire day."

"Okay!" Dipper said, beaming, then sobered slightly. "I mean, if you're sure you don't need my help…"

Ford nodded. "…I'm sure," he replied. "Run along now, you deserve the evening off." His composure almost cracked at how BADLY Dipper was containing an excited, grateful look, it suddenly hitting him like left hook to the gut that Dipper was as excited by birthday planning and spending time with his sister as he was about finding out aliens were real. That wasn't suffocation at all, not in the least.

Dipper ran for the elevator, then turned back and ran up to Ford, giving his great-uncle a quick hug around the middle before running off again. Ford stood there frozen for a few long moments before turning back to the rift and adhesive, swallowing down a thousand emotional responses as he got to work.

* * *

"—and I thought I was going to have a HEART ATTACK, Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed, flailing dramatically as he recounted his day with Ford. "Seriously, I swear my heart flat-lined when that thing's huge gun came out!" He flopped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "…Holy crap, it just hit me that I almost got vaporized."

Mabel hugged her knees, her own heart feeling like it almost flat-lined several times as he told his story. She wanted to badly to cling to him like a limpet and never let him go again, but she swallowed down her clingy feelings and gave him a smile. "Sounds like you had your work cut out for you," she said. "Must've been exciting."

Dipper let out a rush of air. "Mabel, I've never been so scared in my life, and that includes the time we fell off the floating cliffs and getting my body taken over by Bill," he replied, rubbing his face. "And that was the PROBLEM, see? If I WASN'T so scared, that whole kidnapping thing with Great-Uncle Ford would never have happened!" He turned his head, glancing over at her. "…You wanna know something?"

"What's that?" Mabel asked. Dipper chewed his lip a little, looking almost shy.

"…I think you would've done a TON better than me with this."

Mabel blinked. "…What do you mean?" she asked. Dipper raised his hands, ticking off points on his fingers.

"Well, for ONE, you would've used your grappling hook to get down inside that ship, no problem," he said. "You would've found that adhesive no problem. And you wouldn't have set off that alien thing."

"Dipper…"

"I'm serious." Dipper sat up, looking at her. "You know how to hold back your fear when you have to." His hands clenched tightly. "I couldn't do it until I was about to actually lose Ford…if it were you there, it would never have come to that." He smiled a little. "You're like, literally, the bravest person I know…and I've seen Grunkle Stan punch a pterodactyl in the face!"

Mabel gave him a smile back, feeling her eyes water. "…Hey, you're brave too," she said. "Remember saving me from the gnomes? And from Gideon? Even when you thought Grunkle Stan was up to no good, you tried to fight him." She sighed. "…Dipper…you shouldn't let something you're afraid of keep you from moving forward. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here. And now that you know how to turn on the brave, you can do it anytime. I KNOW you can."

Dipper kicked his legs, looking contemplative. "Yeah," he said slowly. "But even I have to admit…even after the whole summer, this mission with Great-Uncle Ford was a gigantic leap for me…and…" He trailed off, mirroring Mabel's position in hugging his knees.

"…Dipper, what is it?" she asked, frowning.

"…I think…Great-Uncle Ford expects me to know more than I actually DO," Dipper confessed. "And…I don't wanna let him down or anything, but—"

"Dipper." Mabel got up and walked over to him, sitting next to him. "A crotchety old man once told me that things don't go right if there's no communication about the prospect beforehand. If you don't think you're ready for something like that, TELL HIM. Build up to it, you know? I mean, we started out with gnomes and built up to dice-rolling Math Wizards. Baby steps, y'know?"

Dipper let out a soft bark of laughter, smiling. "…You think he'd understand?" he asked. "For real?"

Mabel smiled back. "Hey, if he doesn't, then it's his loss for missing out on the best darn paranormal nerd apprentice in the world!" she said, giving him a noogie. Dipper yelped, batting at her.

"Aw, come on, cut it out!"

"Nope! FEAR THE NOOGIES!" She tackled him back to the bed, mussing up his hair until it stood on end, him doing the same to her until they were both howling with laughter.

After settling down and catching their breath, Dipper sat up, flattening down his hair as best he could. "So, that was my day," he said. "How was yours?" Mabel stayed flopped back, shrugging a little.

"…It wasn't that good," she admitted. "We'll have to do some major renovations to the party plan…but I think it'll still be okay. We've got the Grunkles, Soos, and Wendy coming for SURE." She smiled a little. "Like Soos said…birthdays are best spent with people you love, and you know what? I wouldn't care if it was just me and you spending it with two gross old men who kept arguing over the cake flavor and whether or not substituting bottle rockets for candles was ethical. They love us, and we love them."

Dipper bent down and picked up a copy of Mabel's birthday flyer, looking it over quietly. "You're right," he said. "But let's face it, Soos and Wendy would totally spruce up the party."

"The gnomes too."

"Not the gnomes, Mabel."

"Gremloblin?"

"No."

"You're no fun."


	3. Chapter 3

Stanford sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hands that stopped steaming with heat about fifteen minutes ago, and still he couldn't muster up the will to drink it, even though he hadn't slept a wink all night.

He supposed it was a combination of leftover realization that he survived that whole ordeal yesterday, and the mulling over of points he hadn't considered before…well…before he overheard the twins in their room.

Initially, he was going up to talk to Mabel and possibly reiterate their conversation down in the basement, but he heard the twins talking, and couldn't help but listen in through the cracked door. He found his lips twitching up into a smile when Dipper recanted the story, but the smile fell right off when Dipper exclaimed the revelation that he almost died, and went on to say he's never been so scared in his life.

He overheard Mabel's encouragement, and Dipper's self-doubt, and then the statement that MABEL would have done much better on the mission than Dipper did. Examples included. And then…

" _I think…Great-Uncle Ford expects me to know more than I actually do. And…I don't wanna let him down or anything…"_

His heart dropped. Is THAT what Dipper really thought? Honestly and truly, if Dipper had TOLD him he didn't feel comfortable using the magnet gun...

Mabel's response gave him pause.

" _A crotchety old man once told me that things don't go right if there's no communication about the prospect beforehand._ _If you don't think you're ready for something like that, TELL HIM."_

Good, wise words, they were. But wait, 'crotchety old man'? Who…?

…Stanley? But when would—?

Oh.

He didn't stick around after that. He headed down around the time they were hysterically laughing about something, and he'd been mulling over it ever since.

He sighed, finally taking a sip of his coffee, not caring an iota that it was lukewarm, then headed outside to watch the sunrise, hoping a bit of fresh air would help calm his mind.

It was certainly a nice experience. He couldn't remember the last time he watched the sunrise, even though when he DID sleep he got up early enough to see it. Perhaps he DID spend a little too much time down in the basement. He sipped his coffee again, debating going in for a hot refill.

A soft commotion in the kitchen gave him pause, and he peeked around the screen door to listen.

"—looks like Great-Uncle Ford left the door open," Mabel's voice chirped up, sounding more chipper than any kid should this early. A noncommittal, sleep-deprived grunt from Stanley answered.

"Prolly left early for some weird paranormal research sh…stuff," Stan said, hurriedly getting coffee before his verbal filter decided to fail again. He filled a cup and sat down at the table, sipping it. "So, we know why I'm up early, what's your excuse?"

Mabel tugged out a container of her Mabel Juice, pouring herself a glass. "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep," she replied, shrugging. She sat across from Stan, sipping it. "I was just thinking."

"That WOULD make you stay up," Stan said, taking another sip of coffee. "Anything in particular, or…?" He waited as Mabel kicked her feet and chewed her lip. "…Sweetie?"

Mabel sighed, blowing a lock of hair from her face. "…Grunkle Stan…" she began delicately, as though treading carefully as to not upset him. "…what's going to…where are you gonna go when summer ends?"

Stan lowered his coffee cup, frowning, his jaw twitching as it normally did when he had to think of something to say on the fly. "What do you mean?" he asked, keeping his voice light. "I'm gonna stay here, you know that."

Mabel shook her head, her hands flexing around her glass. "…Grunkle Stan…I…overheard you…that day Great-Uncle Ford came out of the portal," she said quietly. "…about…how the Mystery Shack is gonna close for good."

There was a thick, heavy silence that was broken only by birds and cicadas. Stan swallowed hard, looking horribly trapped for a few long moments before he sighed heavily. "Mabel…sweetheart…that's not for you to worry about, okay?" he said, giving her a brave smile. "Your old Grunkle Stan knows how to take care of himself."

"I know," Mabel said. "…But you've taken care of yourself for so LONG! And you've taken care of Soos, and Wendy, and me and Dipper…you've even taken care of Great-Uncle Ford!" She huffed, putting on her 'Mabel's Gonna Do Good' face. "So it's time YOU were taken care of too!"

Stan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, knowing either response would probably put Mabel in a tizzy. He instead rubbed his face, trying to think of a response…and was coming up with nothing. "…You're…somethin' else, Mabel," he said, smiling. "You really are."

Mabel's righteous look didn't fade. In fact, it only brightened. "Omigosh!" she gasped, her hands flying to her face. "BEST. IDEA. EVER." She beamed, her braces glinting brightly. "COME BACK TO CALIFORNIA WITH ME!"

Stan's loud yelp of "WHAT?!" easily droned out Ford's from outside.

"Mabel, sweetie, are you serious?" Stan asked, not really knowing the proper response for that. "I mean…I couldn't just—"

"Psh, of COURSE you could!" Mabel exclaimed. "If Dipper's gonna stay here, that means we have a free room back at the house! And Dad says you're his favorite uncle in the WHOLE WORLD! It's PERFECT!" She hopped up from her chair and ran over to hug him. "Not to mention…it would mean neither of us would be alone," she continued softly.

Stan swallowed hard, hugging Mabel back tightly. "…how on earth did I get so lucky to have a great-niece as wonderful as you?" he asked, mostly to himself. Mabel squeezed him tighter.

"Good karma," she replied sagely. "It came to you because you're the best Grunkle in the world, bar NONE."

Ford sat back on the couch, feeling as though he'd been drop-kicked in the chest for several reasons. He had no intention of the kids overhearing that conversation from that first night…but he also didn't recall telling Stanley that HE had to leave, so why would—

Ugh. Of all the times to be a vague obtuse ass…but honestly, he was miffed about the portal, not a heartless monster. Why would Stanley think he would kick him out of his home for the past thirty years with just a few weeks' notice?

" _You care more about your dumb mysteries than your family!"_

Ford shook his head, THAT particular memory coming unbidden and unwanted. But it was perhaps the very thing he needed to hear. Stanley thought he was kicking him out because he thought Ford cared more about the weirdness around Gravity Falls than him.

What was it Mabel said? 'Things don't go right if there's no communication about the prospect beforehand'? And apparently Stanley had been the one to tell HER that.

Ford rubbed his face, muffling a sigh of weariness. Perhaps it was WAY overdue for one big ENTIRE family talk.


	4. Chapter 4

The call for the family meeting didn't come until that evening. Ford couldn't bring himself to interrupt Mabel and Dipper's party planning. After the guest list had been cut down, Stan said he could make an outdoor party at the Shack doable, on the condition that Dipper leave the journals inside, and he reserved any and all rights to punt gnomes like a football if they showed up, muttering something about needing a fence.

Ford spent much of the time inside, planning on both the family meeting and how to make a fence double as a ward. He managed to figure out both by the time Stan ushered everyone inside for dinner, saying he was ordering out pizza.

"Who wants what?" he said, picking up the phone. "We can get two instead of one this time."

Dipper looked impressed. "Splurging on pizza? What's the occasion?" he asked, then ducked when Stan swiped at his head with the phone book.

"The celebration of you not being a smart-aleck, but apparently we're celebrating too early, now who wants what?"

"Canadian bacon and pineapple," Mabel and Ford spoke up at the same time, then paused, looking at each other.

"YOU like pineapple on your pizza too?" Mabel gushed, eyes sparkling. Behind her, Dipper and Stan grimaced.

"Pineapple on pizza is a sin against all that is good," Dipper said.

"Agreed," Stan concurred. "I'll stick with sausage and pepperoni, thanks." Dipper agreed to that, and the two pizzas were ordered. Mabel gave Ford a somewhat comforting look.

"Don't mind them," she said, kicking her legs. "They also think it's wrong to dunk your fries in your milkshake."

"…what's wrong with THAT?" Ford asked. Stan grimaced.

"Oh, ew, I remember when you used to do that, it was gross," he said, digging a few sodas out of the fridge. "Or when you put mayo on a hot dog—"

"Okay, NOW you're just nitpicking, Stanley!"

"IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR A HAMBURGER, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR A HOT DOG!" Mabel shouted vindictively.

Dipper snorted, cracking open his soda. "You're both gross. Your food choices are bad, and you should feel bad."

"Joke's on you, bro-bro, you're gonna have to eat his cooking when you're living here!" Mabel shot back, sticking her tongue out at him. Ford looked at Dipper, frowning when he saw the boy's expression fall a little.

"Heh heh….yeah," Dipper said, sipping his soda quietly.

Everyone piddled about until the pizzas came, and the two sides of the table were split up between Stan and Dipper with their sausage and pepperoni, and Mabel and Ford with Canadian bacon and pineapple. Ford ate in silence, absently eating his pizza crust-first as he watched Stan and Dipper discuss the upcoming season of Ducktective and the possibility of Ducktective's brother being a full cast member.

Dipper went for another slice of pizza rolling his eyes when he looked at Mabel. "Mabel, cant you eat your pizza like a normal person?" he asked. Ford glanced over at Mabel, who was trying to fit the whole crust of the backwards-facing pizza in her mouth at once. Mabel chewed off a piece and swallowed.

"Normal is SO overrated," she retorted. Ford felt his cheeks heat up, discretely turning his pizza around in his hand, but not discretely enough, when he heard Stan snort and give him a 'gotcha' look. He huffed, biting into the slice, but felt a little blossom of warmth spread in his chest at Mabel sharing his affinity for odd food practices.

Maybe he'd bonded with Dipper more, but Mabel WAS the first interaction with the two he had. He'd been honestly impressed with her ready acceptance of anything outside the ordinary. He noticed a bit more now that he's had a couple days to pay attention. While Dipper appreciated the curiosity of the Gravity Falls weirdness, Mabel was much more accepting of it.

He'd heard of her relationships with a zombie (which turned out to be the gnomes looking for a queen), a merman, and apparently a couple of vampires. It was his understanding that the Gnome Queen thing didn't work out because she wanted to test the dating pool waters before settling down.

Nothing about Gravity Falls seemed to surprise her, and whatever did, she was so quick to accept as a part of life. Fairies had a nail salon in the forest? No problem. Lilliputtians ran the mini-golf downtown? Okay. Giant floating island head leaving teeth everywhere? Poke it with a stick, why not?

Unicorns turn out to be jerks? Punch it in the face.

Ford felt that he could really kick himself for selling Mabel short so soon. She wasn't unobservant of the weirdness, she was accepting of it. Like it was just something else to live with. Someone like HER on his research team…

Right, stay focused. Family talk. Remember the family talk.

He opened his mouth to announce it, but Dipper spoke up first, sounding like he had been holding it in for a while. "…Great-Uncle Ford, I don't think I'm ready for an apprenticeship."

The table went silent, the other three Pines staring at Dipper in surprise. Dipper's face went red, his jaw twitching from the desire to chew on something, as he normally did when stressed. He wrung his hands on the table, his eyes going downcast in almost shame. Mabel put her pizza slice down, frowning.

"…Dipper? What's wrong?" she asked, reaching over to touch his arm. Dipper's hands wrung around themselves tighter.

"I'm just…I'm not ready…" he restated, still not looking up. "Great-Uncle Ford, going into that alien ship SCARED ME. NOTHING prepared me for that at all, and the fact that we made it out alive was dumb luck!" His voice cracked slightly, and he buried his burning face in his hands. "I haven't even gone through puberty yet, and I've already seen and done things most people YOUR age haven't gone through!"

He sniffled slightly, scrubbing at his face with his hands. "'m sorry, I…I don't wanna disappoint you, and…and I LOVE Gravity Falls, I DO…but I'm not READY for that! I'm…I'm sorry—"

"NO!" Ford winced at how loud his voice was. "Dipper, no…please…don't apologize." He ran a shaking hand through his hair. "…You're right."

Dipper lifted his head, his eyes brimming with tears. He quickly wiped his face dry. "…wait, what?"

Ford sighed. "…I was wrong to assume anything, Dipper," he said. "Worst of all to assume you were ready for this life of mine. It was…so wrong of me to put you through that. And…you're TWELVE. You don't even know if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life." He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "…I shouldn't be taking your childhood from you, or trying to mold you into something that _I_ want. That's…it's not up to me." He looked up, giving Dipper an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Dipper…don't you apologize for wanting to do things your way, at your own pace." He gave Dipper a slightly crooked smile. "That's…THAT would be suffocating."

Dipper looked about ready to faint right into his unfinished slice of pizza, but he instead jumped out of his seat and scurried over to Ford, hugging him tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you…" he mumbled over and over again.

Ford hugged Dipper back, smiling brighter. He could see Mabel look like Christmas came early, before her gaze went to Stan and the happiness waned slightly. Oh, yes. He'd have to be having another talk soon too.

* * *

Having agreed to talk more and work out the details tomorrow, Dipper and Mabel were sent upstairs for bed. Ford glanced over at Stan, who was tidying up the kitchen.

"…Stanley?" he said quietly, waiting until he had his brother's attention before nodding to the porch door. "…Can we talk?"

Stan sighed, nodding and heading outside, sitting back on the worn couch. Ford followed suit, staring out at the darkness of the forest, hearing several creatures sound off at the same time. He could name them all.

The twins alternated between glancing at each other and back out at the darkness for a good while before Stan spoke up. "…That was…a good thing you did, Stanford," he said quietly. "…Kid's too young to be shied away from social interaction…and full-time away from his family."

Ford swallowed, nodding a little. "Yes," he replied. "…I admittedly did not think that through. Thirty years alone skews one's perspective."

"Preaching to the choir," Stan muttered gruffly, sitting back. "…Stanford…is that what I was when we were young?" His eyes remained pinned out at the forest. "…Suffocating? Did…did you feel like I was taking your choice for the future away from you?"

Ford felt as though a weight had been dropped in his gut, one filled with guilt and shame. "…A little," he admitted. "But…it's not like I made things easier by keeping quiet about it and reevaluating my future behind your back…or not encouraging you to have more than one option."

Stan's jaw tightened, crossing his arms over his chest tightly. "Yeah," he finally said. "…Would've been nice to know that we weren't on the same page before our senior year. Hell, Stanford…by that point, we weren't even in the same book." He glanced at Ford out of the corner of his eye. "…You could've told me, Ford. I woulda listened. I woulda been disappointed, might've even sulked for a while…but I woulda listened."

He rubbed his arms, frowning. "You wanna know why I was so against you going?" he spoke up, his voice dropping in volume. "…When you won the science fair, I was so damn proud of you. For once, it wasn't my fists that were makin' people stop lookin' at your hands to see just YOU…it was YOU that did it. And I was so PROUD. I've ALWAYS been proud of you, Sixer. Not once was I jealous of you…" He swallowed hard.

"…it wasn't jealousy, Ford…I swear to god it wasn't…I was AFRAID. I wasn't…READY for us to be apart. You were geared up to go, and Ma and Pops were so proud of you and the principal basically called me worthless…" His voice began to shake.

"You…heard that?" Ford asked, feeling the weight in his stomach get heavier.

"I was right outside the door, Stanford, of COURSE I heard. And…you didn't exactly stand up for me. And that scared me even more. It was like you were already gone, and I was grasping at straws for SOMETHING to cling to. And when I couldn't…I got mad."

"And you broke my project."

"NOT ON PURPOSE!" Stan reeled in his voice, taking several deep breaths. "…I just hit the table," he said. "I hit the table, and a panel fell off. I put it back on and hoped for the best. I thought you would know me enough to KNOW that I would NEVER purposely sabotage you. But that was that. It was over. Childhood, dreams, brother, gone."

"…Because we never talked," Ford said, staring at his hands. "…funny, the advice we give the kids, that we don't even take ourselves."

Stan snorted, staring up at the bug zapper on the porch roof. "…still cant decide if it's because I've lived through enough to give it, or because I know we're a lost cause and nothing can change that." He sighed, closing his eyes. "…I'm tired, Ford. Ten years, I hope for a call of truce, and instead I get a 'take the book and get away from me'. Thirty years, I just hope to see you alive again, and I get a punch to the face. I'm tired. And whether you think so or not…I think I deserve a break. I'm too old to hope for the hopeless anymore."

Ford swallowed a lump in his throat, putting his face in his hands. How had he missed THIS? Stanley being so desperate for contact with him, he came running the moment Ford needed him, even after over ten years of resentful silence. So desperate, he risked the universe just to get him back. But now that desperation was at its end. He could hear it in the weariness of Stanley's voice.

He sighed, rubbing his face with the sleeve of his sweater, sitting up. "Stanley," he said quietly, "…I said I wanted my name and my house back. But since the majority of our lives have been ruined because of a failure to communicate…I should reiterate." He looked at his twin, whose eyes remained stubbornly shut. "I want my house back. I want my name back. I want my brother back."

Stan's eyes slowly opened as he sat up straight and stared at Ford. "…what?" His expression seemed to be shifting rapid-fire between hopeful and cautiously suspicious. Ford's hand twitched before it slowly reached over and touched Stanley's shoulder.

"…I'm telling you…that if you want…you can stay," he said slowly. "No…misunderstandings." His fingers flexed slightly into Stan's jacket. "…the thought of kicking you out never occurred to me, Stanley, I promise it didn't…but it's taken me some time to fill in the gaps of the past thirty years and realize just how much you've sacrificed." He swallowed hard. "…Thank you."

There was a heavy silence now, and Ford swore even the forest creatures quieted down some. It took him a moment to see in the dim lighting of the porch that Stan's face was wet. He was crying.

Sweet Moses, he made his brother cry. "Stanley, no, please don't cry! I didn't—I didn't mean to—" He was cut off when Stan grabbed his arm and jerked him forward to hug him tightly. His body froze at the contact; Dipper hugging him was one thing, but this was completely different.

This was HIS brother. And the last time they were this close, they were fighting. But now…

Oh god, was he crying? No, no, no…stop the tears, stop them, stop them…!

Screw it.

He hugged Stanley back, giving in to the dam of tears breaking.

He was forty-odd years overdue for it.


	5. Chapter 5

Ford walked around the property for the umpteenth time to quadruple-check the decorations, make sure the food was bug-and-gnome-free, and make sure the gifts weren't absconded with before heading inside, checking his watch. "Should be any minute now," he muttered.

Dipper and Mabel agreed that THIS birthday, they would be starting the party at exactly 6:18 in the evening, the halfway mark between the time Mabel was born, and when Dipper was born.

Soos and Wendy insisted the elder twins take the birthday twins out for the day while they did the decorating, and what a day it was. Ford was anxious about being out and about in Gravity Falls, but Stanley's reasoning was quite solid. The people here WERE ridiculously ignorant. Those who noticed he looked similar to Stan made a passing 'you must be related' comment and moved on.

He was just another Pines in Gravity Falls. Not half bad.

Dipper and Mabel dragged their Grunkles around to all the fun hotspots as a doubled-up Family Fun Day. Ford displayed his proficiency for videogames and won a massive amount of tickets at the arcade, using both skill and his probability thinking to rack up the most out of every game. By the time they finished up, everyone left the arcade prize kiosk with something.

Ford thought Stan was a little sore at losing to videogames, but whatever soreness he had was taken out in laser tag, where he proceeded to slaughter everyone else in the first round. In the second round, Ford teamed up with Mabel after learning how ruthless she was. She had no qualms about dive-bombing someone from above and shooting them while they were down.

It was exciting and fun, and by the end of it, all four Pines were slapped with a two-year ban from the place.

"So that…makes…three places," Mabel murmured, taking out a little planner book and writing something in a back page. "I'm catching up to you, Grunkle Stan!"

"Brag about it when you're banned from an entire state and a whole providence of Canada, pumpkin," Stan replied, ruffling her hair. "But stay your butt out of prison, y'hear? I'm not paying your bail."

"No promises."

Ford looked less than thrilled with the ban, but Dipper just looked resigned. "You get used to it," Dipper said, putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm banned from the science museum near where I live for collapsing a dinosaur skeleton exhibit. You're one of us now."

"ONE OF US! ONE OF US!" Mabel and Stan chanted before laughing and heading for the frozen yogurt shop.

While Dipper and Ford stuck to a reasonable amount of toppings for their 'fro-yo', Mabel and Stan proceeded to finally add a little bit of yogurt to their bowls of mixed candy.

"This has been great," Dipper sighed, looking content. "Just a normal day of fun. Loooong overdue."

Ford smiled a little, eating a spoonful of his treat. THIS was something he could definitely get used to. "Perhaps, yes," he replied. "It's…nice." He looked over at Stan and Mabel, who were seeing how much chocolate and caramel syrup they could pile on before it overflowed. "…though I'll be disappointed if we get banned from THIS place too."

"Nah, it's fine," Dipper said. "As long as you don't mix condiments and toppings everywhere, they don't really care." He sucked on his spoon, watching Mabel tug on Stan's sleeve and whisper something to him. Stan looked surprised, but replied with something before nodding, heading over to the table.

"How are you not dead from a sugar shock yet?" Ford asked, staring at the concoction Stan managed to fix up.

"Because I'm not a wuss," Stan replied, scooping up a massive amount and eating it. He chewed and swallowed. "I also don't get brain freeze, so THAT helps." He ate a few more bites. "I'm takin' Mabel off to get something done, shouldn't take long. Think we can meet up at the library about forty-five minutes after?"

Ford and Dipper glanced at each other. "…Sure," Dipper said. "I wanted to check out the bookstore anyway."

They separated after the frozen yogurt—Ford saw Stan head into the pharmacy for some antacids as he and Dipper headed off—and after almost an hour in the bookstore, Dipper got a text from Mabel.

"They're at the library," he said, putting the book he was looking through back on the shelf. Ford reluctantly did the same, and they walked to the library, where Stan was waiting by the car. "Where's Mabel—"

"SURPRISE!" Mabel jumped out of the car, arms spread dramatically. Dipper and Ford just found themselves staring.

Mabel's hair had been cut short, her natural wave made it floop slightly upwards at the bangs. Apparently the place she got it cut had glitter hair spray, because it was sparkling slightly in the sunlight. That, or she decided to toss some of her pocket glitter into her hair just because.

"You like it?" she asked, striking a pose. "New year, new look! And I picked up these babies at the accessory store!" She whipped out a pair of decorative hipster glasses and put them on. "Admit it, I'm irresistible."

Dipper blinked, the image finally sinking in, smiling a little. "It looks good," he said. "Gonna take a little getting used-to. You've been growing your hair out since we were nine."

"Psh, it's just hair," Mabel scoffed. "And I kinda like it short. Now I match the rest of the Pines!"

"That you do, sweetie," Stan said, ruffling her hair, then wiping his glitter-covered hand on his jacket. "Ready to head back to the Shack and get ready for the party?"

"YAY, PARTY!" Mabel shouted, diving back into the car. Dipper followed, still shooting Mabel's new 'do a few extra looks. There was just something about it that looked familiar.

Now it was party time. Mabel was wearing a bright red party dress she'd packed just for the occasion, tossing red glitter into her hair, and refusing to take the hipster glasses off. Dipper made due with a blue collared button-up and khakis. And blue glitter in his hair. The twins hurried downstairs when Ford called them down, excited for the party.

Stan was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, holding two blindfolds. "Put 'em on, kids," he said, tossing them to Dipper and Mabel.

"Oh no, where are we going THIS time?" Dipper asked, putting his on anyway. Mabel did the same, over her glasses.

"To the backyard, where else?" Stan asked, steering them through the house. "Soos and Wendy worked real hard to decorate it up, and they wanna surprise you." He guided them past the gift shop and outside, easing them down the porch stairs. "Okay. One. Two. Three!"

Dipper and Mabel lifted the blindfolds, gasping with joy at how decorative it all was. It was even better than the karaoke party! Lights and streamers doused in glitter were everywhere, and there was a large spotlight shining down on a four-tier birthday cake. On either side of the cake were two large piñatas, and on another table was a pile of birthday gifts.

Mabel squealed, jumping up and down. "SOOS, WENDY, IT'S PERFECT!" she shouted, rushing up and hugging them both. "HOW CAN I EVER THANK YOU!?"

"By cranking up some tunes and getting it started, duh!" Wendy replied, beaming. "LOVE the new hair, by the way."

"Pretty nifty glasses there too," Soos added. "Kinda makes you look like Mister Pines the Second."

Dipper blinked, looking between Mabel and Ford. Huh. With the upward wave to the hair and the glasses, they DID look pretty similar. Mabel giggled. "Huh, never thought about it," she said. "Guess all us Pines twins look alike, eh, bro-bro? Maybe if you take up boxing, you'll be all buff like Grunkle Stan!"

Dipper snorted, but couldn't help but follow that train of thought. That stroll through Stan's Mindscape DID show his Grunkle to be pretty weedy like him when he was young. Maybe puberty would be kind to him.

Maybe.

"Kids, over here!" Stan called over from the gift table. Dipper and Mabel hurried over. "Now, I know it's Pines tradition to open gifts AFTER cake and piñatas," he said, "but your Grunkle Ford and I have special gifts to give you BEFORE this shindig officially starts. Okay, first, close your eyes."

"Should've just kept the blindfolds," Dipper muttered, closing his eyes anyway. Mabel snorted, doing the same. Stan and Ford took a twin each and slowly turned them around.

"Okay," Stan said. "Open them."

They did.

"SURPRIIIIIIIIISE!"

Mabel let out a high-pitched scream when she saw Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica standing in the middle of the party. She bolted over, tackling all three girls down in one big glomping hug.

Dipper yelped when he was scooped up by Lee and Nate. "WHOA—"

"You're a teenager now, bro!" Nate hooted.

"You're one of us!" Lee added, slinging Dipper onto his shoulders. Dipper laughed, flailing to keep his balance. "ONWARD TO THE SNACK TABLE!" They ran off, shouting and making a load of noise.

"Kid better appreciate it," Stan muttered. "Dunno WHY he likes those hooligans so much."

"I seem to recall a rowdy teenager who would drive around TPing the neighborhood," Ford commented. "Pretty sure he grew up to be a cranky old miser."

"Go suck an egg, Ford."

Mabel kept alternating hugs between the three girls. "I thought you weren't coming!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, I managed to forge a pass to get me out of boarding school orientation," Pacifica said flippantly. "I've been forging Dad's signature for YEARS. And trust me, a party here is WAY more exciting than orientation THERE."

"I got Marius to fly us back here," Grenda said, looking over at her boyfriend, who was conversing with the older teenagers; Lee in particular wanting to know what Marius used to make his hair so lustrous. "He's never been to a birthday party like this before, so he was THRILLED!"

"Your Great-Uncle Stan busted me out of music camp," Candy said. "It was much appreciated."

Mabel squealed, hugging them again before rushing up to Stan and hugging him tightly. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" she shouted happily. Stan smiled, hugging her back.

"It was no problem, sweetie," he said. "You wanted your friends, you got your friends."

"I've got you and your brother something as well," Ford said. "If you'll go fetch him, I'll bring it up."

Mabel hurried off to get Dipper, and Ford brought two packages out of his coat. His fingers flexed around them nervously, and Stan nudged him. "It's fine, Sixer, they'll like 'em."

Ford nodded, but still remained nervous as the twins came over. He swallowed and held out the gifts. "…These are for you, from me," he said. Dipper and Mabel took them and unwrapped them to reveal two brand-new, personalized journals for them both.

Dipper's was dark blue, decorated with the Big Dipper constellation on the cover. A bookmark ribbon with a UFO charm at the end of it was tucked just behind the first page.

Mabel's was purple with a large glittery gold star…and a glittery cover. It was very much covered in glitter. Her bookmark had a star charm, and was tucked in the same place as Dipper's was.

"Oh man…" Dipper said, his eyes shining. "Grunkle Ford, it's…." He made a high-pitched squeaking sound before smothering it.

"It's AWESOME!" Mabel finished for him, beaming and hugging the journal to her chest. "These are all ours? Thank you!"

Ford smiled, looking heavily relieved they liked the gifts. "…Well, there's more," he said. "Go on, look inside."

Dipper and Mabel opened their journals to the first page where the bookmarks were, the same paragraph set out that Dipper read aloud.

"'Happy Birthday, Dipper—'"

"'—and Mabel'!"

"'—This journal is all for you. To add YOUR discoveries, YOUR adventures, and YOUR mysteries, or even just something to write in when it suits you. I can only hope you will make good use of them when you come back next year…for your fun summer internship…'" Dipper looked up, staring. "…what?"

"Well, an apprenticeship IS a bit much now," Ford replied, smiling. "So I was hoping you both would come back next year for an internship instead. I DO want my work to live on in the family…the WHOLE family."

Mabel squealed and hugging him tightly, dashing him with glitter from her hair and dress. Dipper did the same before running around to look for a pen.

"I'M GONNA START MINE WITH WHAT BUTTFACES UNICORNS ARE!" Mabel shouted, hurrying off to show her friends.

Ford heaved a sigh, sitting down. "Glad to know they liked them," he said. Stan sat down next to him.

"Of course they did," he replied. "I told you they would." He nudged Ford's shoulder. "At least now you've got a year to set up a decent lesson plan."

"And YOU'VE got a year to review it and smack me over the head if it's too dangerous," Ford said, smiling.

"I want it in writing that I can smack you over the head."

"Weirdo."

"Nerd. Let's grab some cake before those hooligans get a hold of it."


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Dipper and Mabel sat at the bus station as they waited for their bus to come, their Grunkles sitting on either side of them. Soos and Wendy came for the goodbye, so Mabel wasn't TOO disappointed her friends had to be back to where they were SUPPOSED to be. The fun they all had at the party was good enough.

Stan kept piping up every couple of minutes with checks that they got EVERYTHING. Clothes, books, glitter, their journals. Everything was packed, save for Waddles. Mabel was worried about leaving him behind, but Stan promised to take care of the pig, making a small joke about starting a farm since he had the starter kit of a pig and a goat.

"…Summer went by fast," Dipper said, kicking his legs. "But it seemed like it was so long." He sighed. "This school year is gonna take FOREVER…"

"Hey, we can make it interesting!" Mabel chirped. "How about for Halloween, we go as each other for the whole day and see how long it takes for them to notice!"

"…only if you wear pants."

"You're no fun. You SO have the legs for a skirt!" She kicked her legs to mirror him, sighing. "…I'm gonna miss this place."

"It's gonna miss you too, sweetie," Stan said, curling his arm around her. "Cant think of a single person who wont miss you two." He looked up when the bus pulled up, sighing. "Alright, off to Piedmont you go."

Dipper and Ford grabbed the bags and loaded them into the luggage area. "…You guys are gonna come to Piedmont for Christmas, right?" Dipper asked.

Ford smiled. "You know it," he said. "A phone call can only do so much for explaining all this to your folks. Maybe a week together will settle everything." He walked Dipper to the bus doors and hugged him. "…you have a good school year, alright?" he said. "Make some friends, join some clubs...just have fun."

Dipper hugged him back. "I will," he promised. "And you do the same. Take some days off, go fishing with Grunkle Stan…YOU just have fun."

Ford ruffled Dipper's hair. "Off you go," he said. "…wait, where's—"

"MABEL, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"

Dipper and Ford turned around to see Stan tugging on Mabel, who latched herself to the bench and refused to let go.

"I DON'T WANNA GOOOOO!" Mabel howled. Stan tugged harder, finally detaching her from the bench, and carried her to the bus.

"Mabel, pumpkin, you're a big girl now, don't make a scene!" he grumbled. "We'll see you in four months!"

Dipper sighed. "I'll get her calming chocolate," he said, fetching her carry-on bag and hurrying up to Stan, hugging him tightly. "I'll take it from here, Grunkle Stan," he said, tugging Mabel onto the bus. He sat her down and tugged down the window, waving at them. "See you for Christmas!" he said, waving.

Mabel pressed her face against another window, breathing on it before tracing out a heart in the condensation. She waved to her Grunkles until the bus pulled off, and the Pines Twins the Elder stood there waving until they could no longer see the bus.

"Well," Stan said quietly, "there they go." He swallowed hard, wiping at his eyes. "…Just as I was getting used to having them around all the time." Ford squeezed his brother's shoulder, smiling softly.

"They'll be back next year," he replied. "And until then, you'll have to make due with me. I know, I know, a shoddy stand-in…" He snorted when Stan punched his shoulder.

"Shut up and get to th' car, Sixer," Stan said, cracking a smile. They walked to the car and got in. "So, you wanna do anything for lunch?"

"…not very hungry," Ford replied.

"Me neither."

They rode down the road in silence.

"…Do you want to go see an alien spacecraft?"

"Hell yeah!"

 **The End**


End file.
